1. Field of the Industrial Application
This invention relates to a press-connecting joint connector used to electrically connect a plurality of covered wires, and more particularly to a method of assembling a press-connecting joint connector having a compact connector body.
2. Related art
A variety of press-connecting joint connectors have been proposed in the art which are adapted to press-connect electrical wires in the connector body. One of those conventional press-connecting joint connectors has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Patent Application (OPI) No. 77564/1986 (the term "OPI" as used herein means an "unexamined publication application").
The conventional press-connecting joint connector is generally indicated at 51 in FIG. 6. The joint connector 51 comprises: a terminal 54 made up of two metal plates each of which has right and left press-connecting blades 53 which are used to electrically connect two covered wires 52 to each other; a connector body 55 made of synthetic resin in which the terminal 54 is been embedded; and a cover 56 which covers the connector body 55 from above and presses the wires 55 against the press-connecting blades 53.
The connector 55 has two wire receiving grooves 57 which extend in parallel with each other and over the terminal 54. More specifically, each of the grooves 57 extends to the front and rear of the terminal 54. The connector body 55 has a pair of longitudinal side walls 58 on each of which front and rear temporary locking protrusions 59 are formed. In addition, on each of the longitudinal side walls 58, two final locking protrusions 60 are formed below the temporary locking protrusions 59, respectively. The final locking protrusions 60 protrude further than the temporary locking protrusions 59. Furthermore, the connector body has a front end wall 61 and a rear end wall 62 on opposite ends, as viewed in the longitudinal direction. The end walls 61 and 62 are designed to position the cover 56 in the front-to-rear direction.
Four locking arms 64 extend downwardly from the upper wall of the cover 56. Each of the locking arms 64 has a vertically elongated locking hole 65 which is alternatively engageable with the temporary locking protrusion 59 and the final locking protrusion 60. The bottom surface of each of the locking holes 65 is employed as a locking surface. In order to press the wires 52 from above, wire pressing members 67 are formed on the lower surface of the upper wall of the cover in such a manner that they extend in the longitudinal direction.
With the press-connecting joint connector, the two wires 52 are connected to each other as follows. First the wires 52 are set in the connector body 55; that is, they are placed in the wire receiving grooves 57 and on the press-connecting blades 53. Thereafter, the cover 56 is pushed downwardly, towards the connector body. As a result, the locking arms 64 are flexed sidewards, and the locking surfaces 66 become engaged with the temporary locking protrusions 59, so that the wire pressing members 67 abut against the wires 52. Thus, with the wires 52 lightly pressed against the press-connecting blades 53, the cover 56 is temporarily locked to the connector body 55.
Hence, the wires 52 are accurately positioned in the connector body 55 before the cover is finally locked to the latter 55. Under this condition, the cover 56 is forcefully pushed against the connector body 55 with a pressing tool or the like, so that insulation of the wires 52 is cut with the press-connecting blades 53, and the conductors of the wires are strongly pushed against the press-connecting blades 53. Thus, the two wires 52 are electrically connected to each other, and the locking surfaces 66 of the locking arms 64 are positively engaged with the final locking protrusions 60.
However, the above-described press-connecting joint connector is not suitable for miniaturization for the following reason. In designing a compact joint connector, it is important to understand that the width cannot be reduced substantially as it depends primarily on the diameter of the wires 52. Moreover, the length A (FIG. 6) cannot be reduced to any significant degree either. In particular, since the connector body 55 is made of synthetic resin, the amount by which the width B of the final locking protrusions 60 can be reduced is limited since the locking protrusion must have certain mechanical strength. For the same reason, there is also a limit as to the amount by which the width C of the locking holes 65 of the locking arms 64 can be reduce and correspondingly to the amount by which the width D of the locking arms 64 can be reduced.
Thus, it is difficult to decrease the length A of the press-connecting joint connector 51, and therefore it is impossible to miniaturize the conventional press-connecting joint connector.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the invention is to provide a method of assembling a press-connecting joint connector which can be miniaturized by decreasing its longitudinal dimension without reducing the mechanical strength, and the structure of the joint connector.